Internal combustion engine starter



L. M. WOOLSON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE STARTER Filed Aug. 28, 1930Qct. 25, 1932.

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'UNHTED y STATES -rENr ,or-'Fica LIONEL M. WOOLSON, DECEASED, LATE OFDETROIT, MICHIGAN, BY EMMA F. WOOLSON, EXECUTRIX, OF BLOOMFIELD VILLAGE,MICHIGAN, vASSIGNOR TO PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE STARTER Applicationled August 28, 1930. Serial No. 478,461.

This invention relates tofinternal combustion engines and moreparticularly to starting mechanism for such engines of the larger slzes.t.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel andimproved starting mechanism of the so-called inertia type for use withinternal combustionV engines. Y f

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide an inertiatypestarter for use with internal combustion engines wherein therotatable inertia. element` .is initially brought up to speed by theaction of expanding gases.

Still another object of the invention resides in the arrangement ofmeans whereby the energy of the explosion of gun powder or some vothersimilar explosive material is transferred to a rotatable. inertiaelement` which, when itis brought up tol maximum speed, can be connectedto a. member of the engine to be started for the purpose of cranking theengine. l p y An important feature vof the invention resides in adaptingthe more or lessv conventional inertia starter, as particularly used onaviation engines, for operation `by means of the firing of an explosivecartridge whereby the iiy wheel element can be brought up to. speedwithout the use of an electric motor or a hand crank.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be moreapparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of theaccompanying drawing and following speciication, wherein is disclosed asingle exem-r plary embodiment of the invention with the,

understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein as yfallwithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit of the invention. f-,f

In said drawing:

Figure 1` is a vertical central .section through a starter constructedaccording to the present invention, showing-.the manualcranking meansrotated 90 from its normal plane for illustration in thesingle figure;

' Figure 2 is a horizontal sectionpn broken line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Y Figurey 3 is a side elevation of the flywheel portion, showing indotted lines the vanes in both the iywheel and the casing whereby thegas takes a substantially helicalvv path from the inlet tothe exhaust.

VFor starting large internal combustion engines,'particu1ar1y those ofthe type used :for

`liti aviation, there has been'developed a sO-Called y inertia starterwherein a small y Wheelv is suitably brought upjto'a speed'of 15,000 t-o20,000'R.v P. M.*by either an electric motor" member of the engine forcranking the same. Such .starters are` well-known, and one form ;orarmanual cranking operation and is thenv lconnected through reductiongearing to a.

is disclosed in the patent to R, P. Lansing, No.1,739,469, December10,1929. The main 'Y elements of such a starter have been shownin thepresent drawing, and the operation will be briefly referred to herein.

A portion of the englnecaslng is-shown at 10, towhich is attached, bysuitable fastening means, the main framework 110i the starter mechanism.This carries 'various subsidiaryv o frameworkand 1casing parts attachedthereto, as clearly shown. A member 12 of the engine is, adapted tobefcranked forstarting lthe sameand carries on its end a dog clutch 13for cooperation with a complemental clutch member 14 on the startingmechanism.

A small Hy wheel 15, shown at the upper portion of Figure 1, is mountedon a vertical spindle 16 carrying Va pinion 17 engaging vwith the 'faceofa gear-18` having ormedintegral therewith the pinion19which drives thelarge gear` 20 journaled onthe shaft 21 co-` extensive with. the shaft12 of the engine. This gear has formed-integral therewith a lpinion 22which engages' aplurality of planet pinions 23 which in turn mesh withan inter- :nal stationary ring gear 24.

The planetwpinions have their stub shafts attached to the disk 26 havingformed integral therewiththe-driving barrel 27. This drivingfbarrel isconnected by means of' a frictionzclutch 'mechanism 28 with a shell ynut v29.v The purpose of the clutch mechanism is to permit slippagebetween the parts 27 and 29, in case 'sufficient resistance to It willbe appreciated that the apparatus shown is by way of example only andthat Y other ways of extracting the energy from explosive material andtransferring it to a y wheel element can be designed but that they 5will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an engine starter, in combination, a driving member adapted toengage and crank a member of the engine to be started, an inertia deviceconnected to the driving member through reduction gearing, means toreceive a single charge of solid explosive, means to discharge saidexplosive, and means to rapidly bring Athe inertia device to high speedby expanding gases from said explosive.

2. In an engine starter, in combination, a driving member adapted to beengaged with and crank a member of the engine to be started, a flywheelconnected through reduction gearing with the driving member, means toreceive a charge of explosive, means to discharge the explosive, andmeans to direct the expanding products of explosion against said ywheelto bring it up to high speed prior to engagement of said driving memberand engine member.

3. The combination with an internal cornbustion engine, of an inertiastarter including a fiywheel, an engine driving member and connectinggearing, turbine vanes formed on said flywheel, a nozzle adapted todirect gases onto said vanes, and means to receive and discharge asingle explosive charge to provide the expanding gases for said nozzle.A

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto Q subscribed my name this 22nd dayof August,

EMMA F. WOOLSON, Eeoutrz'm of the Estate of Lionel M/Woolson, Deceased.

